Being “founder-friendly”, or not, has become an increasingly relevant part of a venture capital company’s armoury in an increasingly competitive investment landscape. But what does being “founder-friendly” even mean, and has the phrase in reality become somewhat of an irrelevant marketing buzzword? Once upon a time, describing yourself as “founder-friendly” made you stand out from the crowd, but now most VC firms do it. Brett Commaille, founder and managing partner of South Africa-based VC firm Hlayisani Capital, says the term “founder friendly” is a marketing tool that gets wielded in many ways to fit many agendas. I’m hesitant about the concept and I think it’s overrated.”Commaille says “founder friendly” can often be used as a cover.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 03, 2024 12:44 UTC